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The Province of Clyne is the largest province by area within the Paravian Crown Lands, and contains the Imperial capital, Nyros. Nyros is the residence of the Emperor and is the location of the Imperial regalia and the Crown Lands treasury. It is also the meeting place of the Imperial Council, which meets in the Council Room in the Imperial Palace.

After a few months of planning (between July and November 2014), Paravia was founded on the 29th November 2014 when Patrick I declared independence from Norway. Its current ruler Emperor Patrick I of the ruling house of Renwick is the first monarch to rule Paravia. The heir to the Imperial throne being the Emperor's younger brother Nicholas, the Prince Imperial.

History

Foundation Period

Paravia was founded on 29 November 2014 by Patrick Renwick, following a period of planning since July. After authoring a short Declaration of Independence (now lost), Patrick declared himself Emperor, and proceeded to annex the properties of his parents, grandparents and aunt. The day after independence, the Emperor appointed his father, Sean Renwick, as High Chancellor, the head of government. On the same day, Emperor Patrick joined the micronational community, announcing the foundation of Paravia on the Micronation.org forum. In the beginning of January 2015 the Codex Paravica was finished, and the Imperial Council met for the first time.

Post-Foundation Period

In the early months of 2015 Paravia grew slowly, annexing territories in the United States, and expanding bilateral diplomatic relations. On 31 May 2015, Paravia officially entered into an alliance with the Republic of South Maudlandia. The alliance entered Paravia into the highly controversial Pannonian War against Liberland. Patrick I announced Paravia's withdrawal from the war on 9 June, after heavy condemnation of the war from the international community. The withdrawal completed the following day.

Logo of the ILP

Following the Pannonian War, the Paravian government and Patrick I adopted vehemently anti-war policies, and Paravia joined the Union Against Micronational War. About a month after the end of the war, the International of Left-wing Parties invited the government to join as a special non-party member. The government, especially the Emperor, were actively involved. Over the course the existence of the ILP, Paravia formed close relations with other micronations, including Nedland, Grémmia, Usi and Humanytaria.

In August 2015, following a coup in Nedland which overthrew president Ned Greiner and eventually left Nedland without a government, Paravia annexed Nedland as an autonomous region on Greiner's request, doubling the Empire's territorial size and population. In the following months, Paravia grew very rapidly, annexing 3 other autonomous regions: Dachenia, Skovaji and the New Woods Republic. In November 2015, Ned Greiner suddenly left his position in Nedland, and the autonomous region of Nedland was dissolved at the beginning of December. The former Nedlandic territory of Šlovedkia, however, was re-annexed as a crown dependency in January 2016 on Greiner's request.

In the first few days of 2016, the autonomous region of Skovaji declared independence, further reducing the size of the Empire. In February Paravia held its first general elections. The incumbent High Chancellor Sean Renwick, the Emperor's father, was replaced by Lise Næsheim-Renwick, the Emperor's mother, as High Chancellor. There was a period of general stability until May 2016, when the Crown dependency of Slovedkia, the last remnant of Nedland, declared independence as the short-lived Republic of Nedland, following the return of Ned Greiner to the community. Emperor Patrick was recognized as emperor of Nedland one week later, thereby ending the Republic of Nedland and forming the State of Nedland.

By June, the Emperor and the Imperial Council had started questioning the status of the last two remaining autonomous regions, Dachenia and the New Woods Republic. Following negotiations between the Nedlandic and Paravian governments, Paravia granted Dachenia independence. Only five days later, the last autonomous region, the New Woods Republic, was dissolved following over half a year of total inactivity. This left Paravia with only the "core territories" (now known as the Crown Lands). Within half a year, the empire's population shrank from 103 to 36.

Federation

Treaty of Nyros

Through mid-July 2016, several newer states in the Micronational community began to criticize the international trend of many national legislatures consisting of the same people with multiple citizenships. The ensuing crisis, humorously described as the "Micronational existential crisis", led a number of younger micronationalists to temporarily leave the community, notably Kit McCarthy. In response, the leaders of Paravia, Nedland, Grémmia and Cinnamon Creek (later also the leaders of Dachenia, Humanytaria and Usi) started negotiations to form a larger federation. The negotiations produced the Treaty of Nyros, by which all the signatory nations were annexed into Paravia as federal states, with the original territories of Paravia becoming the Crown Lands).

Constitutional development

Emblem of the Chamber of Delegates

After the Treaty of Nyros entered into force, the entire government structure changed dramatically: The previously unicameral legislature became bicameral, with the Imperial Council repurposed as the upper house of the new Riksting, whilst a newly-formed Chamber of Delegates, composed of one delegate from each federal state, became the lower house. The High Chancellor lost the position as head of government to the Riksminister, and became head of government of the Crown Lands.

A week after the treaty entered into force, Mikael Bokmann became interim Riksminister by unanimous consent of the Chamber of Delegates. Later in early August, the Chamber of Delegates and the Imperial Council both unanimously passed the Constitution Act, which codified the federal structure of the Empire and personal rights.

Early federal developments

The empire quickly descended into inactivity however, and the Chamber of Delegates held sessions few and far between. The State of Nedland, one of the founding states of the federation, used the inactivity as a justification to unilaterally secede, becoming the Khanate of Nedland. After initial outrage at the illegal move, the government of Nedland agreed to carry out a constitutional independence referendum. Nedlanders voted overwhelmingly for independence, and Nedland seceded.

By the beginning of October the Kingdom of Viselander joined the Empire, yet inactivity continued. By mid-November activity slowly started returning, with a few sessions of the Chamber of Delegates taking place. On the 9th December 2016, Stephen Freayth, the king of Viselander, was elected by the Chamber of Delegates as Riksminister. The same day, the Empire annexed the State of Zelenarus. On 27 December the Chamber of Delegates approved the Constitution Addendum Act, which made provisions concerning citizenship of the various states, interstate commerce, and treaty ratification.

Federal collapse and reorganization

Politics

Government

Paravia is a FederalConstitutional monarchy, ruled by an Emperor. The Empire consists of 4 federal states, each with their own government, and power to enact any legislation that does not contradict federal law. The states themselves may choose their local form of government. Currently, all are subnational monarchies.

The Riksting is the bicameral legislature of Paravia, consisting of the Chamber of Delegates and the Imperial Council. The Chamber of Delegates is the lower house of the Riksting and consists of one delegate from each state and is presided over by a speaker, elected by the chamber. The upper house is the Imperial Council. It consists of 2 chancellors appointed by the emperor, and the High Chancellor of the Crown Lands, elected anually by the Crown Lands' population.

Executive powers are vested in a Riksminister. The Riksminister is elected by the Chamber of Delegates, then approved by the Imperial Council. The Riksminister is the federal head of government and is responsible for appointing a cabinet.

The Emperor is head of state, and is responsible for making appointments to certain government offices and signing treatites. Theoretically, the Crown has ultimate authority in the country, but in practice the Riksting wields all executive power. Acts of the Riksting must be signed by the Emperor to become law, and the Emperor can withhold assent from a bill. The Emperor can also dissolve the Riksting, but this has never happened and there is no precedent for such a situation.

Law

Front page of the Constitution Act of 2016

The Paravian Constitution is an uncodified collection of legal traditions and Acts of the Riksting. Particularly important statutes include the Constitution Act of 2016 and the Constitution Addendum Act of 2016, which outline the powers of the Riksting, Emperor, federal government, and state governments, and define the rights of citizens, state citizenship, state secession from the empire, federal supremacy in law, and regulation of commerce.

Each separate state is allowed their own state constitutions and laws. However, the federal constitution and federal law override their state counterparts.

Foreign relations

Paravian foreign relations are in the hands of the foreign minister, whom, in cooperation with the Emperor and cabinet, negotiates and signs, with the approval of the chamber of Delegates, diplomatic treaties with other Micronations. This has been the case since the Treaty of Nyros was signed in July 2016, prior to this, the Emperor had all powers over foreign relations. All UN member states and their territory, with the exception of territory claimed Paravia or other Micronations Paravia recognizes, are recognized by Paravia. Paravia has mutual recognition with a large amount of micronations, the first micronation to open relations with Paravia being the Kingdom of Ruthenia, now known as Karnia-Ruthenia, in early December 2014.

The Imperial army operates Kronsborg Fortress, a wooden military fortress overlooking and protecting the Paravian capital, Nyros. Whilst the Riksmarine operates 2 naval bases, Port Talisman and Lonn naval base, as well as the training facility at Strømvik. The navy operates a total of 6 seaworthy ships, with 1 training ship on land, at Strømvik.

Territories

Paravia is made up of six federal states, each of which was an independent Micronations before signing the Treaty of Nyros or various other treaties of integration. The federal states have large degrees of autonomy, each have their own local government, with a legislature and cabinet. Each state is split into various administrative divisions, the names and powers of these divisions varying from state to state.

Economy

Federally, no taxes are levied by the governemnt, and a federal treasury has yet to be established, with the federal government not having any expenses.

The state governemnt of the Paravian Crown Lands does however have a taxation system, collecting 25 NOK (2,94 USD) monthly from the Norwegian provinces of the Crown Lands. The overseas provinces are exempt from taxation, based on logistical issues. The Crown Lands treasury is situated in Nyros, the state and federal capital.

Religion

Almost all of Paravia's citizenry consists of either non-religious or Christian. Grémmia, Viselander and other states have a have majority Christian populations, while the Crown Lands are split demographically in half between Christians and non-religious citizens.